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Max Gürke

1854 – 1911

German botanist

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About Max Gürke

Lived 1854 – 1911 (aged 56). Max Gürke was a German botanist, university teacher, geographer and botanical collector.

Robert Louis August Maximilian Gürke (17 November 1854, in Beuthen, now Bytom Odrzański – 16 March 1911, in Berlin) was a German botanist. He usually appears in literature as Max Gürke (older English-language publications sometimes give the name as "Guerke").

Life

After graduating from a prestigious secondary school in Görlitz on September 1, 1875, Gürke studied natural sciences in Berlin. He later taught at a preparatory school for officer cadets in Görlitz before joining the Botanical Museum in Berlin as a scientific assistant in 1886. In 1892, he earned his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Göttingen with a dissertation on the Malvaceae family. Subsequently, Gürke was appointed assistant curator at the Berlin Museum on July 9, 1892, and then curator on January 4, 1893. He was awarded the title of Professor on April 15, 1904, and from 1905 to 1910, he served as the first chairman of the German Cactus Society.

Selected publications

Plantae Europeae, with Karl Richter (1890–1903).

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
University of Göttingen
Positions held
Professor
Employers
Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin
Awards
Order of the Red Eagle 4th Class
Also known as
Gürke, M. Gürke, R. L. A. M. Gürke, Maximilian Gürke, Robert Louis August Maximilian Gürke, Max Guerke
moreMaximilian Guerke

People in Max Gürke's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Max Gürke's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Max Gürke?

German botanist (1854–1911)

When was Max Gürke born?

Max Gürke was born on 17 November 1854 in Bytom Odrzański.

When did Max Gürke die?

Max Gürke died on 16 March 1911 in Groß-Lichterfelde, Berlin.

What was Max Gürke's occupation?

Max Gürke was a botanist, university teacher, geographer and botanical collector.

What nationality was Max Gürke?

Max Gürke was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Max Gürke

· Wikidata: Q71382

· DBpedia: Max Gürke

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Max Gürke. https://biography.guide/max-gurke/

MLA: "Max Gürke." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/max-gurke/.

Chicago: "Max Gürke." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/max-gurke/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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